Biomolecules, as physical systems, are distinct molecular entities synthesized or utilized by living organisms that exhibit specific structural, thermodynamic, and dynamical properties enabling biological function. They include nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and diverse metabolites, each characterized by defined covalent connectivity, three-dimensional conformations, and interaction potentials with solvents, ions, and other biomolecules. Their behavior is governed by quantum-mechanical bonding, classical electrostatics, and statistical thermodynamics, leading to emergent phenomena such as self-assembly, allostery, enzyme catalysis, and molecular recognition. In physical systems research, biomolecules are studied through techniques like spectroscopy, crystallography, cryo-EM, and molecular simulations to elucidate structure–function relationships and energy landscapes.
One of the main ways cells "talk" to each other to coordinate essential biological activities such as muscle contraction, hormone release, neuronal firing, digestion and immune activation is through calcium signaling.
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Jul 10, 2023
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Researchers have demonstrated significant improvements for chip-based sensing devices used to detect or analyze substances. The achievements lay the groundwork for highly sensitive portable integrated optofluidic sensing ...
Bio & Medicine
Jun 22, 2023
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Aleksandra Radenovic, head of the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology in the School of Engineering, has worked for years to improve nanopore technology, which involves passing a molecule like DNA through a tiny pore in a membrane ...
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Jun 19, 2023
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Identifying whether and how a nanoparticle and protein will bind with one another is an important step toward being able to design antibiotics and antivirals on demand, and a computer model developed at the University of ...
Bio & Medicine
Jun 5, 2023
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The first protein-based nano-computing agent that functions as a circuit has been created by Penn State researchers. The milestone puts them one step closer to developing next-generation cell-based therapies to treat diseases ...
Bio & Medicine
May 26, 2023
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Scientists have developed new technology which has made it possible to isolate and study how a single protein—10,000 times thinner than a human hair—behaves and changes over time.
Bio & Medicine
May 3, 2023
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In a study recently published in the journal ACS Nano, researchers from Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan, collaborating with University of Washington, Seattle, U.S., used frequency modulated atomic force microscopy to ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 27, 2023
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Researchers at Kanazawa University report in ACS Nano how high-speed atomic force microscopy can be used to study the biomolecular mechanisms underlying gene editing.
Bio & Medicine
Mar 14, 2023
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Cell membranes are barriers that maintain cellular homeostasis, and the intracellular delivery of biologically functional molecules, including peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids to manipulate cellular functions. Conventional ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 6, 2023
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The RNA molecule is commonly recognized as messenger between DNA and protein, but it can also be folded into intricate molecular machines. An example of a naturally occurring RNA machine is the ribosome, that functions as ...
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Feb 27, 2023
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